This is a sign that you are drinking too much water.

Health organizations always tell us that drinking enough water is absolutely essential for the body to function properly. However, drink just enough, not too much.

Physical Signs You're Drinking Too Much Water

Drinking too much water usually doesn't lead to anything worse than frequent trips to the bathroom — but in certain cases, it can cause serious illness and even death, says Austin DeRosa, MD, a urologist at UCHealth Cancer Center in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, and director of Robotic Surgery at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Hyponatremia , sometimes called "water intoxication ," causes abnormally low levels of sodium and other electrolytes in your blood, which can then lead to serious health problems like seizures, coma, and in rare cases, death, he explains.

The good news is, there can be signs that you're drinking too much water. Check them out!

Drinking too much water sometimes causes serious illness and even death.

Never leave the house without a water bottle and constantly keep a water bottle in hand - psychological signs of drinking too much water

If you carry your water bottle around all day and refill it as soon as it starts to run out, you may be drinking too much water. Constantly replenishing your body with water can lead to low blood sodium levels, according to the Mayo Clinic, which causes your body's cells to swell.

This can become especially dangerous when your brain starts to swell, says Tamara Hew-Butler, PhD, professor of exercise science at Oakland University in Rochester. "Your brain can only swell about 8 to 10 percent before it reaches your skull and pushes your brain stem out," Hew-Butler says.

You have a throbbing headache all day long

Headaches can be a sign of overhydration or dehydration. When you drink too much water, the salt concentration in your blood drops, causing cells in organs throughout your body to swell.

But again, this can have an effect on your brain. When your salt levels are low, your cells expand. Think of it this way: When you drink too much water, your brain actually expands and presses against your skull. This extra pressure can cause throbbing headaches and more serious health problems, like brain fog and difficulty breathing.

You lose the urge to urinate.

Controlling urination is a learned skill, which is why we 'potty train' children at a young age. However, if you constantly overfill your bladder by drinking too much or holding it in for too long, you can 'outgrow' that skill, says Dr. DeRosa. This can make it difficult to pee when you need to, or can make you feel like you need to pee even when you don't.

You drink water even when you are not thirsty

The best way to know if your body really needs more water is to see if you actually feel thirsty. "Our bodies are programmed to resist dehydration. Thirst is each body's own personal monitor to tell them whether they need more," says Hew-Butler .

In the same vein, Dr. Caudle suggests that it's important to learn to pay more attention to your body's cues — including hunger, fatigue, and thirst.

Your urine looks like water.

If you are drinking a healthy amount of water, your urine should range in color from straw yellow to clear yellow. Colorless urine is a clear sign that you are drinking too much water.

The general rule is to drink eight to 10 glasses of water a day. But how much you really need depends on your height, weight, age, activity level, health status, and the weather, says Dr. Caudle. Again, the key is learning to recognize your body's thirst cues.

You urinate frequently, even at night

Using clinical terms for urination, Dr. DeRosa says, "On average, a person will urinate six to 10 times a day, so if you find yourself urinating more than 10 times a day, you may be drinking more water than your body needs. Waking up more than once a night to urinate is another sign of overhydration."

There are many other potential causes of frequent urination, including an overactive bladder or too much caffeine. So if your water intake is within normal limits but you're still urinating every hour, it's time to talk to your doctor.

You have a "leak problem" from drinking too much water

The average bladder can hold 20 to 30 ounces of fluid before needing to be emptied—but, Dr. DeRosa says, just because you can stretch your bladder to the size of a grapefruit doesn't mean you should.

Many people with too much urine in their bladder try to 'hold it' longer, which can lead to bladder leakage. (If you have to urinate more often than every two hours or wake up more than once during the night to urinate, your bladder may be overactive.)

You are vomiting or have diarrhea or nausea

Hew-Butler explains that the symptoms of overhydration look a lot like dehydration. When you drink too much water, your kidneys can't get rid of the excess fluid. This leads to water retention in your body, which causes a number of unpleasant symptoms, often including nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Swelling or discoloration of the hands, lips, and feet

'In many cases of hyponatremia, people will experience significant swelling or discoloration in their hands, lips, and feet, ' says Dr. Caudle. 'As all the cells throughout your body swell, your skin will start to swell noticeably as well.' (Even in less severe cases, drinking water can cause swelling or bloating. )

People who drink too much water may experience sudden weight gain due to swelling and excess water in the blood. If you are drinking more than 10 glasses of water a day and notice swelling or discoloration in your hands, lips, and feet, consider cutting back on your water intake and see if your symptoms improve.

 Drinking too much water can cause sudden weight gain due to swelling and excess water in the blood.

Your muscles are weak and prone to cramps

When you drink too much water, your electrolyte levels drop and your body's balance is compromised. Low electrolyte levels can cause a number of unpleasant symptoms, including muscle spasms and cramps.

You can prevent muscle problems by replacing a few glasses of water each day with coconut water, a 100% natural, electrolyte-filled beverage, or an electrolyte drink.

You feel tired

Your kidneys are responsible for filtering the water you drink through your body and keeping your blood fluid levels balanced. When you drink too much water, your kidneys have to work harder, creating a stress response from hormones that make your body feel tense and tired. If you're constantly drinking water and find yourself having trouble getting out of bed, you may be putting unnecessary stress on your kidneys.